Help

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions with answers. If you have a question that is not answered below, please contact us.

*** Guidelines for placing an ad on MiniMerchant.com ***

Q: May I list my ad multiple times on MiniMerchant.com?
A: No. Doing so is considered spamming and will cause your ads and possibly your account to be deleted.

Q: May I list my ad in multiple categories?
A: No. Doing so is considered spamming and will cause your ads and possibly your account to be deleted.

Q: May I list my ad in multiple counties?
A: No. Ads are visible to everyone regardless of which county an ad is listed under. The system will, however, always show a person ads in their county first, then ads from outside their county.

Q: If I list an item differently, may I post it in another category?
A: No. Do your best to place and describe your ad only once. If you would like us to add another category to MiniMerchant.com, contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Uploading Pictures

Q: I uploaded pictures and there is a problem or they do not appear.
A: If an upload is interrupted for any number of reasons you can get blank photos. The easiest solution is to re-upload the photos.

Ad Counts

Q: I placed an ad and the number count in the Browse Ads column on the homepage does not reflect the addition of my new ad, why?
A: Ad counts are a manual operation and are usually updated once a day. Your ad is active and will appear to you and others. As a most recent ad, your ad will appear on the homepage of MiniMerchant.com.

Registration

Q: How much does it cost to register?
A: Nothing. Registration is FREE.

Q: Do I have to register to use the site?
A: No. You can browse and search ads without registering. You should still register, to save time, as the site will remember various preferences for you. If you want to create ads, you will need to register. Registration is FREE.

Pricing and Payment

Q: How Much Do Ads Cost?
A: ALL classified ads in our site are FREE!

Q: How Long Does an Ad Run?
A: Each ad runs for 21 days. MiniMerchant.com will notify you via email prior to your ads expiration giving you the opportunity to renew your ad at NO CHARGE!

Creating and Managing Ads

Q: Do I Have to Register to Create Ads?
A: Yes. You must be a registered user to create ads. Registration is free.

Q: I created an ad, but it does not show up in search results. Why?
A: You need to "Run" your ad. Go to "My Account" and click on "Run Ad" to the left of the ad you wish to run.

Q: I uploaded pictures, but they do not appear in my ad.
A: If an upload is interrupted for any number of reasons you can get blank photos. The easiest solution is to re-upload the photos.

Q: I sold my stuff. How do I stop my ad from running?
A: From the "My Account" page, click on the Stop link to the left of the ad.

Q: I placed my ad and it appears in the correct category, but the ad count did not increase after I placed my ad, why?
A: Ad counts are part of the systems routine maintenance and are usually updated once a day.

Q: I received an email that my ad was about to expire. How can I keep it running?
A: From your "My Account" page, click on the Extend link to the left of the ad. There is NO charge to extend your ad!

Q: What Category Should I Put My Ad In?
A: If you don't see a category for your item, choose Miscellaneous and then contact us with your suggestion for a new category. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Q: What County should I put my ad in?
A: The County you live in. By default the region will be the region you specified on your profile when you registered, but you can change this at any time.

Q: Will my ad be visible in other counties?
A: Yes. Ads are visible to everyone regardless of which county an ad is listed under. The system will, however, always show a person ads in their county first, then ads from outside their county.

Privacy

Q: I don't want my name, phone number or email address to appear on your site. What should I do?
A: You can keep your name and street address private but MiniMerchant.com requires users to list a phone number so people can respond to their ad. Requiring users to list their phone number has cut down and possibly eliminated the number of fraudulent ads and fraudulent ad inquires our users were receiving. Update your personal privacy preferences from the My Account page.

Q: If all my information is private how can a buyer contact me?
A: When your ad appears, instead of showing your contact information the following appears: "This seller has chosen to remain private. You may contact this seller via anonymous email by clicking here." The prospective buyer completes an on-line form and the system sends you an email without revealing your information to the prospective buyer.

Q: How Do "Counties" Work?
A: MiniMerchant.com is desinged to serve the On-line Classified Advertising needs of the following Counties here in California: Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin and Stanislaus. Since the launch of this website and the nature of the Internet, additional Counties are added upon request. When you register or create ads, you select a County. When you browse ads, ads in your County will be shown first. When you search for ads, ads in your County will be shown first as well.

Q: I don't see my County listed. What County should I choose?
A: Choose the County closest to you then notify us of your preffered County and State and we will add it to the list and update your account to reflect your preference.MiniMerchant.com